Pregnancy

November 2, 2009 -- Healthy pregnant women mount a robust immune response following just one dose of 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine, according to initial results from an ongoing clinical trial sponsored by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) of the National Institutes of Health.

“For pregnant women, who are among the most vulnerable to serious health problems from 2009 H1N1 infection, these initial results are very reassuring,” says NIAID Director Anthony S. Fauci, M.D. “The immune responses seen in these healthy pregnant women are comparable to those seen in healthy adults at the same time point after a single vaccination, and the vaccine has been well tolerated.”    » read more »

Participation in Stress Management Program Results in Increased Pregnancy Rate

Skillman, NJ (October 19, 2009) – Women who participated in a stress management program prior to or during their second IVF cycle had a 160 percent greater pregnancy rate than women who did not participate in a program, according to a study presented today at the American Society for Reproductive Medicine’s 65th Annual Meeting.    » read more »

Calls on Health Care Providers to Help Women Achieve a Healthy Weight Before and During Pregnancy

May 28, 2009 -- WASHINGTON -- A growing amount of scientific evidence indicates that how much weight women gain during pregnancy and their starting weight at conception can affect their health and that of their babies, says a new report from the Institute of Medicine and the National Research Council.    » read more »

Exposure to alcohol is a known cause of birth defects

May 26, 2009 -- The number of women who drink alcohol while pregnant is not decreasing, according to a 15 year-study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Approximately 1 in 8 women drank any amount of alcohol while pregnant, the study says.

The drinking patterns persisted despite repeated warnings from surgeons general about the dangers of drinking alcohol while pregnant. The surgeons general have told pregnant women, and women who may become pregnant to abstain from alcohol consumption in order to eliminate the chance of giving birth to a baby with alcohol related birth defects.    » read more »

Report Underscores Need For Inclusion Of Reproductive Health In National Reform Efforts, Highlights Roadblocks for Women in Current Health Care System

WASHINGTON, DC — Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) today applauded the Department of Health and Human Services for a new report, released during National Women’s Health Week, placing an important spotlight on the impact that the nation’s health care crisis is having on women, particularly women of childbearing age.    » read more »

May 13, 2009 -- The proportion of births to unmarried mothers in the United States has risen steeply over the past few decades, consistent with patterns in other countries, a report from CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics shows.

In March, CDC reported that about 4 in 10 births in the United States in 2007 were to unmarried mothers. While a great deal of focus has been placed on births to unmarried teens, 6 out of 10 births to women between the ages of 20 and 24 were among unmarried women in 2007.    » read more »

March 24, 2009 -- Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) applauded today’s ruling by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York ordering the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) to expand access to emergency contraception (EC), also known as Plan B.

“Today’s federal court ruling puts women’s health ahead of politics,” said Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America. “We must do everything we can to reduce the number of unintended pregnancies and protect the health and safety of all women.”    » read more »

By Cecile Richards, President Of Planned Parenthood Federation Of America

March 19, 2009 -- “With nearly 750,000 teens getting pregnant every year, the United States is facing a teen pregnancy health care crisis. When something is broken, our country works to fix it. We must work together to fix this crisis and reduce unintended pregnancies.    » read more »

March 19, 2009 -- The birth rate for U.S. teens aged 15 to 19 increased by about 1 percent in 2007, from 41.9 births per 1,000 in 2006 to 42.5 in 2007, according to a report Printable PDF released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This is the second year in a row that teen births have gone up. They increased 3 percent in 2006 following a 14-year decline.

Birth rates also increased for women in their 20s, 30s and early 40s, but remained unchanged for younger teens and pre-teens aged 10-14. Only Hispanic teens noted a decline in the birth rate, which fell 2 percent in 2007 to 81.7 births per 1,000.    » read more »

Washington, DC — Planned Parenthood Federation of America today applauded the passage of legislation to make birth control affordable again for millions of women who obtain contraceptives at community health centers and college clinics. The provision was included in the 2009 omnibus appropriations bill that passed the U.S. Senate today and the House of Representatives two weeks ago.

In 2005, Congress passed the Deficit Reduction Act, which tightened eligibility for nominally priced drugs. In doing so, Congress inadvertently cut off safety-net providers and every college and university health center from obtaining contraception at a low cost, and passing on those savings to their patients. As a result, women have been paying up to 10 times more each month for basic contraception.    » read more »

Includes Expanding Medicaid Family Planning Programs To Prevent Unintended Pregnancies and Strengthen Women's Health Care

Feb. 26, 2009 -- Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) applauds President Barack Obama for living up to his commitment to supporting women’s health and investing in commonsense proposals to expand family planning programs. President Obama’s 2010 budget includes a provision to expand family planning under Medicaid, which would help extend basic health care to millions more women. In addition, the president’s budget promotes “evidence-based” teen pregnancy prevention programs.    » read more »

Bill would establish a national stillbirth registry and promote prevention

June 17, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Barack Obama today introduced the Preventing Stillbirth and Sudden Unexpected Infant Death Act of 2008, which will enhance public health activities related to understanding and preventing stillbirth and sudden unexpected infant deaths (SUID).

Senator Barack Obama: Photo by Jackie (CC)    » read more »

April 14, 2008 -- Pregnancy rates for females under age 25, including teenagers, in the United States declined in 2004 compared to 1990, according to a report released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The report says nearly 38 percent of pregnancies in 2004 were to women under age 25, down from nearly 43 percent in 1990.

Pregnancy: Photo by mahalie (CC)

The proportion of pregnancies among teens under age 20 dropped from 15 percent in 1990 to 12 percent in 2004.    » read more »

April 7, 2008 -- Mothers who smoke early in pregnancy are more likely to give birth to infants with heart defects, according to a study funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The study, published in the April issue of Pediatrics, shows that women who smoked anytime during the month before pregnancy to the end of the first trimester were more likely to give birth to infants with certain congenital heart defects (CHDs) compared to women who did not smoke during this time period.

Women smoking: Photo by Luis (CC)

The association was stronger for mothers who reported heavier smoking during this time period.    » read more »

MONDAY, FEB. 25, 2008 -- Two-thirds of women who had their first child between 2001 and 2003 worked during their pregnancy compared with just 44 percent who gave birth for the first time between 1961 and 1965, according to a report released today by the U.S. Census Bureau.

The report, Maternity Leave and Employment Patterns: 1961–2003, analyzes trends in women’s work experience before their first child, identifies their maternity leave arrangements before and after the birth and examines how rapidly they returned to work.    » read more »